Written questions by Obese-Jecty.

What recent progress he has made toward meeting the NHS standard that 92% of patients should wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to start consultant-led treatment of non-urgent health conditions.

As of March 2025, performance against the 18-week standard was at 59.8%, a 2.6 percentage point improvement on March 2024 when it stood at 57.2%. The national referral to treatment waiting list is published monthly, and is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/rtt-waiting-times/As set out in the Plan for Change, we have committed to returning to the 18-week constitutional standard by the end of March 2029. Planning Guidance for 2025/26 set a target that 65% of patients wait for 18 weeks or less by March 2026, with every trust expected to deliver a minimum five percentage point improvement on current performance over that period.As an important first step to delivering on this commitment, we have now exceeded our pledge to deliver an additional 2 million appointments, tests and operations, having delivered 3.6 million more since July. We have reduced the waiting list by more than 200,000, so that patients get the care they need as soon as possible.Our Elective Reform Plan sets out the productivity and reform efforts needed to return to this standard and includes measures such as widening the opening hours of Community Diagnostic Centres and launching and expanding 17 new surgical hubs so that patients are diagnosed and treated more quickly.

If he has conducted an impact assessment on the updating of the Carr-Hill funding formula.

The Department has not conducted an impact assessment on updating the Carr-Hill formula.

Pursuant to the Answer of 13 May 2025 to Question 50264 on General Practitioners: Pay, from which year is the Labour Force survey data.

The Labour Force Survey (LFS) is conducted by the Office for National Statistics. The Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) uses the LFS’ data from April to June, from the relevant year. For example, in the ASHE for 2025, the LFS’ data from April to June of 2025 will be used.

If he will list those medicines used by the NHS that were subject to (a) animal and (b) non-animal testing in the UK as part of the pre-clinical testing process.

Compiling a list of all the products that were developed with and without animal testing would take the medicine regulator a significant and disproportionate amount of time and resources.Whilst new medicines are usually tested in animals, unless there is an alternative validated method, the majority of medicines used by the National Health Service are generic products, and these are usually licensed without any animal testing.The Government is supporting and accelerating advances in biomedical science and technologies to reduce reliance on the use of animals in research, and importantly to avoid some of the scientific limitations of animal models of human diseases.

What Air Ambulance coverage there is in Cambridgeshire.

In Cambridgeshire air ambulance coverage is provided by two air ambulance charities, namely East Anglian Air Ambulance and Magpas Air Ambulance.

Pursuant to the Answer of 12 May 2025 to Question 50623 on Hinchingbrooke Hospital, what is the specific issue in need of resolution that is preventing the acquisition of the required land.

The current issue relating to land acquisition is between National Highways and the Cambridgeshire Constabulary, and the Department is not directly involved in these negotiations. The New Hospital Programme team is engaging with the North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust and across Government to support progress towards a resolution to enable the trust to continue their discussions with the Cambridgeshire Constabulary on the potential acquisition of this land for the new access road.

Pursuant to the Answer of 13 May 2025 to question 50264 on General Practitioners: Pay, whether the methodology of the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings been updated since its introduction in 2004.

The Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) was introduced in 2004, replacing the New Earnings Survey. Since its introduction, some changes have occurred, the key ones being:improvements to the questionnaire and the way in which geographic results were compiled, in 2005 and 2006;the introduction of automatic occupation coding and changes to stratum classification, that led to changes in the weights, in 2007;changes to the Standard Occupational Classification in 2010 and 2020;changes to the Standard Industrial Classification in 2007;a reduction in the sample by 20% in 2007 and 2008, followed by the full 1% sample being reinstated in 2009, following consultation with users as to the impact of the sample cut;response rates being decreased to between 140,000 and 150,000 from 2020 to 2022, due to the impact of COVID-19, although they started to recover in 2023 and returned to normal levels of response in 2024; andthe introduction of methodological improvements to bring in more observations left in error, particularly for high earners in 2024.Further information can be found in the ASHE’s methodology and guidance webpage, which is available at the following link:https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/methodologies/annualsurveyofhoursandearningsashemethodologyandguidanceIn addition, information on the ASHE’s data sources and quality, along with the latest publication, is available at the following link:https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/bulletins/annualsurveyofhoursandearnings/2024#data-sources-and-quality

Pursuant to the Answer of 28 April 2025 to Question 46097 on General Practitioners: Pay, when the New Earnings Survey was replaced by the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings.

The Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) replaced the New Earnings Survey (NES) in 2004. A number of methodological improvements were introduced in the ASHE to address weaknesses of the NES’ design.

Pursuant to the Answer of 28 April 2025 to Question 46095 on Mortality Rates: Huntingdon, what the standardised mortality was ratio for people aged under 65 years old in each ward in Huntingdon.

The Department does not hold this information centrally.

With reference to the press release entitled GP surgery refurbs to enable over 8 million more appointments, published on 6 May 2025, which GP surgeries will receive funding to (a) expand their premises and (b) upgrade storage rooms into consultation areas in Huntingdon constituency.

On 6 May 2025, the Government announced which primary care schemes are in line to receive funding from the £102 million Primary Care Utilisation and Modernisation Fund, in order to deliver upgrades this financial year to more than a thousand general practice (GP) surgeries across England.These schemes will create additional clinical space within existing building footprints to enable practices to see more patients, boost productivity, and improve patient care. It represents the biggest investment in GP facilities in five years, and forms part of the Government’s plan to shift care out of hospitals and into the community.The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Integrated Care Board has prioritised the Orchard Surgery in the Huntingdon constituency within its allocation, and it is in line to receive a share of the £102 million. This will bring tangible benefits for patients of Huntingdon, and I know will be welcome news to you and your constituents. A full list of the schemes being considered for funding this year can be found at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/primary-care-utilisation-and-modernisation-fund-2025-to-2026

Pursuant to the Answer of 29 April 2025 to Question 46103 on NHS: Energy, over what period he has estimated that these measures would pay for themselves.

The NHS National Energy Efficiency Fund (NEEF) is a programme of investment delivering vital upgrades, like LED lighting, building management systems (BMS), and solar energy, to drive down trusts’ energy bills.The published data suggests that investment in BMS’ in hospitals can payback in as little as two years, and investment in LED lighting will pay for itself in four years. Using data gathered for the recent Great British Energy £100 million capital investment in solar photovoltaics, payback is expected in approximately 13 years.In the most recent NEEF funding round, the Department invested £95 million across January to April 2025, benefitting 114 National Health Service trusts. It is estimated that this investment will pay for itself through revenue savings by approximately 2030, and will go on saving money into the 2040s and beyond.

What progress he has made on resolving the land ownership on the site of the proposed new access road to Hinchingbrooke Hospital from Views Common.

The North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust is in ongoing discussions with the Cambridgeshire Constabulary over the acquisition of land for a new access road to the Hinchingbrooke Hospital site. The New Hospital Programme team are engaging with the trust and across the Government to support progress towards a resolution.

Pursuant to the Answer of 7 May 2025 to Question 48627 on GP Practice Lists: Huntingdon, what proportion of patients registered at each surgery are (a) adults and (b) children.

The following table shows the proportion of adults and children registered at each general practice in the Huntingdon constituency:Practice codePractice nameAdultsChildrenD81004Alconbury Surgery89%11%D81010Priory Fields Surgery90%10%D81027Wellside Surgery89%11%D81030Grove Medical Practice90%10%D81038Kimbolton Medical Centre90%10%D81045Buckden Surgery89%11%D81049Spinney Surgery89%11%D81050The Hicks Group Practice89%11%D81060Moat House Surgery90%10%D81081Great Staughton Surgery91%9%D81606Riverport Medical Practice89%11%D81633Acorn Surgery86%14%

What steps he is taking to increase the number of community first responders within the ambulance service.

The Government recognises the important contribution of Community First Responder (CFR) volunteers who generously donate their time to support ambulance services and patients across the country.CFRs are recruited and trained directly by ambulance trusts. Trusts are responsible, on an individual basis, for taking decisions on the capacity and support needed to deliver their services.

Pursuant to the Answer of 28 April 2025 to Question 46097 on General Practitioners: Pay, what the difference is between the (a) New Earnings Survey and (b) Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings.

The Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) replaced the New Earnings Survey (NES) in 2004. A number of methodological improvements were introduced in the ASHE to address weaknesses in the design of the NES. Key changes included the introduction of the weighting of survey results to population totals using information from the Labour Force Survey, changes to sampling processes to improve coverage, and the introduction of imputation for item non-response. Further information can be found in the Methodology for the 2004 Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings technical report, a copy of which is attached.

Pursuant to the Answer of 28 April 2025 to Question 46102 on Integrated Care Boards: Carbon Emissions, how (a) emission estimates and (b) progress towards net zero will be assessed for integrated care boards that merge.

As part of the necessary changes to support National Health Service recovery, NHS England has indicated that integrated care boards (ICBs) should reduce their running cost allowance by 50%. The Government is supportive of NHS England’s decision and will work with NHS England to make the necessary choices that are needed to get the NHS back on its feet. We expect ICBs to continue to deliver their responsibilities, including the planning and delivery of health and care services.In this context, ICBs will continue to be required to report an annual summary of progress on the delivery of their green plans to their board, and will publish this in their annual report, including actions taken and planned, with quantitative progress data.

How many HC2 certificates for full help with health care costs have been issued to people seeking asylum since 5 July 2024.

Between 5 July 2024 and 2 May 2025, 138,238 HC2 certificates have been issued to people seeking asylum.

What was the average proportion of NHS funding for GP practices contributed by the global sum payment for 2022/23.

In 2022/23, global sum payments to general practices were £4.4 billion, while total payments to general practices were £10.2 billion. The global sum accounted for 42.7% of funding. This figure includes practices who do not receive global sum payments but are instead paid under a Personal Medical Services or an Alternative Provider Medical Services contract.For a median average practice, that had registered patients in 2022/23 and received global sum payments, those payments accounted for 63% of their total payments.

Pursuant to the Answer of 8 April 2025 to Question 43807 on NHS: Carbon Emissions, how much will be spent each year on solar generation from the £100 million partnership with Great British Energy.

Capital funding for this programme is available in the 2025/26 financial year, and is for the procurement and installation of solar panels and battery storage only. As announced on 21 March 2025, £100 million has been provisionally allocated to projects covering approximately 200 National Health Service sites at 78 trusts. The lifespan of the solar panels to be delivered has been estimated at 30 years, and total savings are estimated at approximately £260 million. This includes consideration of operational and maintenance costs and panel performance over time.Any future funding for NHS solar investment will be confirmed through the Spending Review.

Pursuant to the Answer of 28 April 2025 to Question 46099 on General Practitioners: Average Earnings, what year the value of £15.94 per hour for Cambridgeshire relates to.

The value of £15.94 per hour for Cambridgeshire is from the staff market forces factor used for global sum payments to general practices, based on earnings data for 1999 to 2001.Plans to review the Carr-Hill funding formula may be revisited in future. However, any changes would need careful planning to ensure they do not threaten stability or cause financial uncertainty for practices.